Media transmission, and video playback, through television, Internet websites, mobile applications, and on computers, tablets, smartphones, and the like, has become mainstream technology and consumers and users of such technology have come to expect the ability to view video content on any information technology platform. Video content distribution has become ubiquitous and anyone with a smartphone or other video capable capture device and/or video playback capable device, can post video content on such websites as YouTube® or share with others by simply sending the video file and others utilizing any of various media players, who can then press play and view such content.
However, users of such media players and viewers of such media content have limited ability to actually interact in a meaningful way with the content. Such interaction may include zooming in, fast forwarding, reversing, pausing or capturing still images. But users typically do not have the ability to interact with specific media content items embedded within the content, view the video content they choose, or control their viewing experience. In some instances, users may be prompted by timeline dependent cues to interact with certain elements, i.e., when the video gets to a certain spot along its timeline, a viewer may be prompted to engage with a suggested advertisement—see it or skip? However, there is no current technology that allows users complete flexibility, not dependent on timeline cues, to view or not view enabled extra features, and all within the player functionality.
Attempts have been made to increase viewer interactive capability. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,542, entitled, Method of Delivering Advertising Through an Interactive Video Distribution System, issued Jan. 2, 2001, disclosed is, “an interactive video distribution system include[ing] a plurality of interactive video subscriber units, a head end facility, and a video distribution medium. The head end facility is configured to transmit advertisements in connection with an interactive video program and receive requests from one of the subscriber units to register the advertisements in a menu. In response to each of the requests, the head end facility generates a entries associated with the advertisements in the menu, The menu is communicated in a first video still image to the subscriber unit through the medium. The head end facility is further configured to obtain a selection request for one of the entries and provide supplementary advertising information associated with the selected one of advertisements to the subscriber unit.”
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,536,705 entitled, System and Method for Interactive Distribution of Selectable Presentations, issued May 19, 2009, discloses, “a data storage, multiplexing, and distribution method is provided for use in a digital data distribution system. The system provides simultaneous transmission of a plurality of uniquely identified, independent data streams within an assigned channel bandwidth of local, metropolitan and wide area distribution media. The independent data streams can include presentations specifically requested by the receiving user. Upon request from some number of users from their premises, the system assembles a combination of optional image elements such as motion and still frame video, background and description audio, text and graphical overlays into presentation data stream appropriate to the user requests. Individual data streams are multiplexed within a higher bandwidth data stream for simultaneous delivery within the bandwidth assigned for this data transmission. The techniques unique to this system, in regard to storage, timing and synchronization, can be implemented using techniques described within the MPEG profile.”
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,041,717 entitled, Mobile Advertisement Syndication, issued Oct. 18, 2011, “improved mobile advertisement syndication capabilities are disclosed for mobile communication facilities, such as cell phones. These and other capabilities are employed to improve delivery of mobile advertisements and their syndication, such as associating advertising content with websites, to appropriate or desirable mobile communication facilities.”
In a combination of examples, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,312,486, 8,533,753, 8,549,555, 8,782,690, 8,893,173, and 9,351,032, all entitled the same as Interactive Product Placement System and Method Therefor, inventor(s) Christian Briggs, et al, discloses, inter alia, “a method for presenting advertisements for commercial products in video production, whereby the commercial product is placed in the video production as an element of the video production. A viewer is enabled to interact with the video production to select the product. Information is then displayed about the selected product and the viewer is enabled to purchase the selected product.” (Collectively, the “Briggs' Patents”).
While others have increased technical video playback and increased efficiency of bandwidth, storage, and timing and synchronization, and the like, only the Briggs' Patents have disclosed a system and method for presenting product placement in a video playback as an element of the video production whereby a viewer is enabled to interact with a specific product within the video production. However, the Briggs' Patents are enabled through cue point triggering and a process supplemented “with an information and product integrated timeline residing, under the video production. At the triggered cue point, watermarked icons/logos appear under the video production. Users can interact with the icons to garner more information about a particular character, location, or advertisers at a specific point in the feature presentation employing [calls for interactive product ads] . . . . Once the life cycle of the ad expires, or the ad is clicked or presented to the end user, the advertisement will destroy itself, leaving the viewer with the impression that there was never a break in the viewing experience.” However, in order to purchase any such product, the viewer leaves the viewing experience and goes directly to a linked third party sales website to transact and then return to the viewer. Moreover, in order to purchase more than one item enabled in a video, this process is repeated and there may be many third party websites to visit outside the player in order to transact this business.
The current disclosure does not teach a timeline dependent overlay (or underlay, as the case may be) with cue point triggers along a timeline, nor does it disclose calling for advertisements being displayed as a result of those cue point triggers, nor does it disclose advertisements that destroy themselves or otherwise having a ‘life cycle’ other than the length of the video playing itself through from beginning to end. Here, once enabled, the advertisements and other interactive processes are available immediately, from the moment play is pressed until the video is over, or, at any point, and repeatedly, or never, as much as a user of the technology may determine, at the complete and sole discretion of such user. And, if a user were to decide to want to purchase any advertised product, they would be able to do so from within the player itself, not having to go to any third party website and not having to login to, or deal with, any other entity than the one enabled by logging into the player in the first instance. The viewing and purchasing experience is seamless.
Here, the disclosure overcomes the limitations of timeline dependent cue point triggers and the calling from an ad server, advertisements to be displayed and then discarded. Disclosed here is a truly ‘interactive on demand’ (“IOD”) experience allowing viewers to dictate how and when they engage with the player. Upon loading an enabled video of the instant disclosure, the player will have already used machine learning algorithms to determine which video, API Commerce Feed and search query data (intent based on machine learning and first party data) to populate within the player solution. At no time is any potential marketer or advertiser, or the player itself, dictating via a predetermined timeline when cue point triggers are enabled or a viewer will otherwise see or engage (or not) with interactive media campaigns. In fact, while utilizing seemingly interactive and choice dependent technology, the Briggs' Patents disclose a technology that still (like typical television advertising) dictates when and how a viewer may encounter an advertisement, with the only advancement being that the viewer may choose not to interact and view the advertisement, as well as enabling an ‘order here’ functionality in the case that the viewer did indeed choose to view the advertisement (although that ‘order here’ functionality is actually ‘order through this link’ functionality and the user is directed to an outside third party website temporarily leaving the viewer). Whereas, here, the viewer initiates player interaction at any point within the viewing experience, having a choice of one or a plurality of cue objects within which to interact, at any point during the viewing experience, or multiple times during the viewing experience, all without the need to ‘call’ advertisements from an ad server, and also enabling the true ‘order here’ functionality. Here, the ‘order here’ functionality is truly ‘order here’. There is no direction to an outside website. Logged into the player, the player has payment handler capability and order fulfillment functionality so the purchasing is all done within the player itself.
The technology disclosed here delivers new digital technologies that create new standards in how we not only view, but are able to interact with media. This technology enables a ‘smart’ online shopping experience. A viewer becomes interested in a particular product because of the video production—an actor wearing a particular pair of sunglasses, or riding a particular kind of bicycle, or demonstrating a particular piece of jewelry, or hitting a particular kind of golf ball, or simply eating a slice of pizza. The advertisement is not first. The use or display of the product is first. The viewer becomes interested by seeing the product in action and clicks on the product or through a menu bar determines if indeed the interesting product or service is a cue object and enabled for more information and/or immediate purchasing. Without leaving the viewer, the viewer is enabled with information about the clickable or cue enabled product (a cue object and not a cue trigger along a timeline—at any point in the video, whenever the object is visible, it may be directly clickable, and even when not viewable, at all times clickable through a user enabled menu option) and a viewer, upon garnering enough interest simply upon seeing the use or display of the product thinks, hey, I wonder where I can buy that, or how much would it be, or what are the specifications for that product, what colors is it available, etc., clicks on the product (or through the proprietary player menu) and within the player itself, without having to call information from an ad server, the player displays the relevant information, including an option to purchase. If the user then wants to purchase, he clicks purchase and the purchase is complete because an enabled, logged into, payment handler, transacts the business all without the user ever having to leave the player.
The foregoing has several advantages over the prior art. Use of the player and platform described herein delivers high user engagement; drives brand awareness (without distasteful brand pushes, instead, a viewer calls for information relevant to them and is never pushed or triggered to view—or decline—information that may or may not be relevant) and thus, brand loyalty; enhances multi-channel campaign efforts (a particular brand of peanut butter, co-marketing with a particular brand of jelly, with the video participant/actors clearly enjoying the particular combination within the context of the video, not a separate advertisement, and when interest is garnered within the viewer, the viewer capable of providing in response to a viewer trigger, the ‘tell me more’ and ‘where and how can I buy it’ instant ordering functionality. Viewers will share videos they like with friends who are also more likely to have similar tastes and want what their friends got and this encourages sharing of branded content. This will greater enhance brand building, customer acquisition and brand loyalty.
As a result, certain advertisement enhancements are developed. This solution will deliver relevant content and product recommendations based on an individual's preferences, social groups, browsing/buying patterns, favorites and browsing history. It will connect shoppers with brands that drive sales through a curated content experience while boosting engagement and lift conversion rates significantly.
It will create new revenue streams by providing transactions from the advertising revenue. Any or all objects, products and services will be tagging capable and hence are potential cue objects shoppable for a rich interactive experience, but none will trigger a ‘pushed’ cue point pop-up trigger to distract viewers. Viewers essentially will not even realize they are being solicited, but only when a viewer is interested in an item, will be capable of instantly reviewing further information about that product or service up to instantly ordering it. Because viewing and ordering will be in real time, advanced analytics will provide unique reporting capabilities that gives a clear visibility on user activities, behaviors, and interactions, geographically enabled, which in turn will drive conversion rates. During live-event video viewing, users can be targeted based on in-session behaviors across overall engagement with video content and products.
The player of the current system and method is agnostic and can be a stand alone unit seen as a branded player on sponsorship or landing pages. The user will be subtly encouraged to interact with the cue objects that appear on products available to view and purchase. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the player may be treated as a Super Rich Media ad unit that can play video in traditional or larger size when user-initiated and would be ad supported. In yet another embodiment, the player can appear as an overlay above existing video players, which would be most effective for television networks and online streaming service companies. In any embodiment, the player does not require any special developed app or platform and is a cross-platform player.
The IOD experience enables flexibility for users to watch video and shop without disrupting their video viewing experience and they interact on their own will and only on their own will. They never have to leave the confines of the viewer to shop and/or buy and no ad server need be engaged to provide requested information. In fact, in one embodiment, at a viewer's option, they can turn on and off at will, all cue objects, all hotspots and they can view all such cue objects or hotspots available to them in a single glance. In one embodiment, there can be a ‘wishlist’ saving certain cue object hotspots to come back to later for more information or to send to someone else who may have interest. Or, alternatively or additionally, they can be bookmarked to watch again later, either by returning to the video or within the player but independent of the particular video from which they came. All transactions are capable of happening and being completed within the player. A user may seamlessly switch between video feeds and go back and forth at will. In one embodiment, products, video clips, entire videos, and the like may be shared with others through social engagement.
In one embodiment, a separate entity, either an entity associated with the provider of platform player, or some other existing or specially created entity, acts a single source purveyor of any good or service offered for sale through the system and method of the present disclosure. That separate entity then engages with various other purveyors of goods and services to procure the desired items and to have them provided directly to the consumer, the consumer having already been billed and charged by the separate entity. From a consumer's point of view, they will be doing business solely with the separate entity, having paid the separate entity, returning any product or service to the separate entity, receiving any applicable refund directly through the separate entity. As to the consumer, they will only have done business with the separate entity and need only one log in, one payment, one identity with the separate entity. In turn, the separate entity, for any good or service available for sale or purchase through the system and method as disclosed, will have pre-arranged with any number of various other purveyors of goods and services the availability of and terms for such other goods and services and obtained pre-approval for the sale and purchase of such goods and services at pre-designated prices and terms. The separate entity then would pass through to the consumer desiring such good or service the exact same price and terms as if the consumer were dealing directly with such other purveyor in real time (and/or potentially adding on any additional fee for service). This obviates the need to set up any number of direct links between consumer and such number of other purveyors. Once the link between the separate entity and purveyor is enabled, and the link between consumer and separate entity is enabled, the link between consumer and other purveyor is instantly enabled. In one embodiment, the separate entity may set its own prices and additional terms for the purchase and sale of items. In one embodiment, the consumer may transact with the separate entity, but if there are any returns or other issues with the purveyor, they may agree to deal directly with the purveyor to resolve those after transaction issues.
None of the foregoing references, or other known prior art, alone or in combination, teach the salient and proprietary features of the present disclosure as just described. While there are many ‘new technology’ video and media players, and seeming even to purport to enable interactive video viewing experiences, none are truly user initiated, without any trigger ‘push’ and where advertisement viewing and product and service review and purchase is enable completely within the player. Additionally, in one embodiment, the viewer and system of the current disclosure offers additional functionalities such as viewing angle choice.